Fluid pressure reciprocating motor and control valve apparatus



Sept. 7, 1954 W. E. B FLUID PRESSURE RE AUER CIPROCATING MOTOR AND CONTROL V ALVE APPARATUS Ch 21, 1950 WITNESSES:

9&9

FIG.5.

INVENTOR Mlliam E. Bauer JLmv-M ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 7, 1954 CIPROOATING MOTOR FLUID PRESSURE RE AND CONTROL VALVE APPARATUS William E. Bauer, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to

America as represented Navy the United States of by the Secretary of the Application March 21, 1950, Serial No. 150,934

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to fluid pressure actuating apparatus and more particularly to a double acting fluid motor for actuating aircraft auxiliaries and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved fluid pressure actuator suitable for operation in high temperature zones and comprising means for maintaining ,themotive fluid cool during periods of inactivity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fluid pressure motor apparatus constructed and arranged for effecting continuous circulation of the motive fluid to ensure cooling thereof.

A further object is the provision of a fluid pressure motor apparatus having a construction rendering it particularly suitable for controlling operation of a variable area nozzle device for an aviation engine of the jet propulsion type.

These and other objects are efiected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claim taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a typical aviation gas turbine power plant having a variable area exhaust nozzle adapted to be actuated by a fluid pressure motor embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of, the

same power plant, showing a suitable means for connecting the nozzle elements to the actuating motor constructed in accordance with the inven tion; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic sectional view, in enlarged detail, of the actuator motor apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

As shown diagrammatically in Fig. l, a gas turbine power plant it with which the invention is adapted to be associated in a suitable compartment of an aircraft (not shown) may com prise an outer generally cylindrical casing structure I I having longitudinally mounted therein a core structure I2, forming an annular passageway I3 which extends through the plant from a forwardly directed air inlet opening I4 to a rearwardly disposed exhaust nozzle I5. The flow area of the nozzle I5 is variable in accordance with cooperation of a pair of movable arcuate closure members II, which are pivotally connected to suitable pins it carried by the casing structure I I diametrically at opposite points adjacent the nozzle. The usual operating elements of the power plant Ill are arranged in axial alignment therein, and include an axial flow compressor I9,

a driving turbine connected thereto by means AI carried on the bracket 33.

of a shaft 2|, and annular combustion apparatus 22, which is interposed in the passage i3 between the discharge end of the compressor and the inlet of the turbine. In operation, air entering the inlet opening I4 is compressed by the compressor I9 and delivered through passage I3 to the combustion apparatus 22. Fuel supplied to the lat ter, by way of suitable manifold and nozzles (not shown), is burned in the stream of air under pressure, creating motive gases which are expanded through the turbine 20 and finally discharged to atmosphere through the nozzle Iii, establishing a propulsive thrust.

The movable closure members H are constructed and arranged for operation, in a manner well understood in the art, to effect variations in the nozzle area in order to control engine thrust and also to aiford a means for limiting the oper-'- ating temperature of the turbine 20. For operating the closure members Il', suitable linkage may be provided, such as that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and comprising an arcuate lever or bail having parallel arm portions 26 pivotally 0on nected to pins 27 carried on opposite sides of the casing structure II, and a pair of longitudinally disposed rods 28, each of which has one end pivotally connected to a pin 28a carried by the adjacent nozzle closure member Il' and the other end pivotally connected by a pin 29 to the corresponding free end of the bail 25. A lug 39, formed on the bail 25 intermediate the ends thereof, is operatively connected through the medium of a link 3! to a fluid pressure motor or actuator device 32, which may be mounted on suitable bracket means, indicated generally at 33, carried either by the engine casing structure or on a wall of the aircraft engine compartment (not shown).

According to the invention, as best shown in Fig. 3, the actuator device 32 comprises a movable cylinder 35 having closure pieces or heads 36 and 31 secured to opposite ends thereof, and slidably supported on a stationary piston member 38 which is carried on inner and outer coaxial tubes 39 and M. A simple annular seal or 0 ring 42 may be mounted in a peripheral groove in the piston 38. The inner ends of the tubes are secured in suitable bores formed in a base member Any desired means, such as sweating or welding, may be employed for securing the heads 36 and 31 to the cylinder 35, and for connecting the stationary tubes to the base GI and piston member 38. The stationary piston member 38 is thus interposed between a pair of piston chambers 43 and 45 formed in the movable cylinder 35. With the head 31 of the Associated with the cylinder 35 is a control.

valve device 50 comprising a casing i, which may be mounted on any suitable support (not shown), and a slide or plunger valve element 52 operatively mounted in a bore 53 formed. in

the casing. The valve element may be manually operated, and has lands 54, 55' and 56 connected by reduced portions forming a valve chamber 51, which at all times communicates through a supply pipe 58 with a suitable source (not shown) of oil or other fluid under pressure, and a valve chamber 59 which communicates with a discharge pipe 60 leadingto a zone of relatively low pressure. It will be understood that, if'desired, the usual engine lubricating system having a supply pump may be adapted to effect constant supply of oil under pressure to the pipe 58, while the pipe Stmay be connectedto' the inlet of the same pump, or to the inlet of a separate scavenger pump of a conventional type.

The valve element 521'is adapted to control continuous flow of oil under pressure to and from both chambers 43'and 44 of the actuator device 32. The land 54 of the valveelement is disposed for varying the flow of oil from the chamber 51 through aport 62 communicating with the chamber 44 by way of a flexible conduit 63, a passage 64 in the base 4!, the inner tube 39 and an opening 65. in. the piston 38. Discharge flow of oil from the piston chamber 44 to the valve chamber. 59 is led through a passage GIin thehead 31, a flexible conduit 68 and a port 69" in casing 5| controlled by the land 56 of thevalve element. The land 55 of the valve element 52 controls communication from the valve chamber 51 to a port 10. which communicates with thepiston chamber 43 by way of a flexible conduit 1|, a passage 12in the base 4|, the space between the outer and iiner tubes 40 and 39, andan aperture 13in the tube 40. Return flow of'oil from the piston chamber 43 to the discharge chamber 59 of valve device. 50 is'eifected by way of apassage 15 in head 36, a flexible conduit 15, and a port 11 controlled by the valve element.

In operation, oil under pressure is constantly supplied through pipe 58 to the valve chamber 51', wherethe flow divides, some of the oil flowing through port 62, conduit 63 and tube 33 to the piston chamber 44, while the rest of the oil flows from valve chamber 51 to the other piston chamber'43 by way of the port 10, conduit 1| and apertured tube 40. The passages 61 and 15 and associated communications already identified permit the oil to flow from the respective piston chambers 44 and 43 to the valve chamber 59 and discharge pipe 60 to the pump inlet or other low pressure zone. When it is desired to effect movement of the actuating device 32 to the right, as viewed in the drawing, the control valve element 52" is moved tothe left from a neutral position such as that illustrated. When the valve element 52 is thus displaced to the left, the flow area of the'port 62 is increased and that of the port isreduced or throttled, without being completely closed, however. Thus, the flow of oil into the piston chamber 44 is increased while the flow into the opposite piston chamber 43 is reduced. Since the leftward movement of the valve ele- 4 ment 52 at the same time effects increase in the flow area of the port 11 through which oil is discharged from piston chamber 43, while reducing the discharge area of the port 69 communicatingwith piston chamber 44, the fluid pressure in piston chamber 44 is increased relative to that in piston chamber 43. The cylinder 35 consequently is shifted to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, while oil is continually circulated through the chambers thereof.

In order to facilitate holding of the actuator device 32 in a given position against a constant load towardtheleft, for example, it is only necessary that the valve element 52 be displaced slightly to the left from its neutral position. Thus the pressure drop from the pipe 58 to the port 62 'ismade less than that from pipe 58 to port 10, while the pressure drop from port 69 to pipe becomes greater than that between port 11 and pipe 60. In consequence the fluid pressure in piston chamber 44 is built up sufficiently above that in piston. chamber 43 to hold the cylinder 35against the biasing load, without stopping. the circulation of oil through the piston chambers for cooling the actuator device 32.

When the control valve element 52 is displaced in the opposite direction, or to the right as viewed in the drawing, the changes in pre sure drop becomethe reverse of those just set forth, so that the cylinder will be urged to the left, again without stopping the flow of fluid for cooling purposes.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the invention contributes features of construction facilitating continuous circulation of motivating fluid through an improved fluid pressure motor device, thereby ensuring adequate cooling of the device and rendering feasible the use of readily available sealing elements and other parts. It will further be understood that the apparatus embodying the invention may, if preferred, be constructed and arranged with the cylinder 35 constituting a stationary member and the piston 38 operatively disposedtherein and adapted for relative movement.

While I have. shown the invention in but one form,.it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

A fluid pressure actuator device for a variable area turboiet nozle having a movable nozzle element, comprising a piston member carried on spacedtelescopedinner and outer fluid supply tubes; a cylinder member mounted on said piston member and having first and second piston chambers formed at opposite sides thereof; one of said members being slidably movable relative to the other of said members, said inner and said outer fluid supply tubes communicating with said first and said second piston chambers, respectively, adjacent said piston member; means connected to the slidable member adapted to operate the nozzle element, a source of fluid under'pressure; a control valve device having a supply valve chamber communicating with said fluid source, an outlet valve chamber communieating with a fluid discharge port and a multiple valve element operatively mounted in both valve chambers, said supply chamber having a pair of continuously open fluid feed ports and a pair of' continuously open fluid vent ports controlled by said valve element; first and second conduits each connecting one of said fluid feed ports to one-of saidinner and outer fluid supply tubes at References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Dutton Oct. 31, 1899 Bijur Feb. 12, 1907 Lower Mar. 13, 1917 Hyland Mar. 27, 1934 Barnhart June 18, 1940 Martin July 26, 1949 Lombard Nov. 20, 1951 

